Improvement in stock-cars



UNITED STATES i PATENT OFFICE.

AMos RANK, or SALEM, oHIo.

IMPROVEMENT IvN STOCK-CARS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AMOS RANK, of Salem, in the county of Columbiana and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stock-Cars, of which the following is a specification The improvements herein claimed relate to the partitions which divide the car into stalls, and to the feed-bins, openings, and racks for carrying food for and supplying it to the stock.

The subject-matter of said improvements, being stated inthe claims constituting a part of this specication, need not be mentioned here.

The accompanying drawing shows so much of a stock-car embodying all my improvements as is necessary to illustrate theinvention herein claimed.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved car, partly in section; Fig. 2, a transverse section, and Fig. 3 a plan, partly in section 5 Fig. 4, a detail of one of the spring-bolts.

Ihe body A of the car, in this instance, is shown as constructed of slats in the usual manner. Y

In order to carry out the rst branch of my invention, which constitutes an improvement on the stock-car patented to me February 14, 1871, No. 111,872, I divide the car into stalls by means of flexible .partitions B. As stock-cars are usually made just wide enough to accommodate cattle crosswise, and as in practice my improved partitions are arranged so closely together as to prevent the animals from turning around, leaving them only room enough to lie down comfortably, I find it unnecessary to construct the stallpartitions of the full width of the car. I therefore leave a space, say, of about a foot, clear at the tail of the animals, and a space somewhatlarger at the head. This construction leaves room to introduce a feed-rack and water-trough, and also allows more room for the large-horned cattle now so common in the west. In order to hold the partitions securely in place I provide each end of the bottom bar b of each partition with a horlizontally-sliding spring-bolt, b', Fig. 4, to take into a suitable socket in the side of the car. In

order that these bolts readily may fasten themselves, as the partitions are lowered, into place, and that they may be unfastened from the outside of the car, I arrange inclined boards C C along each side of the car, with their lower edges slightly above the floor, and form a series of notches, e, in the Imder side thereof. Consequently, as the partitions are lowered, the inclined surface of the board presses the bolt inward until it comes opposite one of the notches, into which the bolt is shot by its spring. The bolt is retracted by pushing it inward from the outside of the car by a stick inserted under the inclined boards. A trough, D, is arranged on one side of the car and divided by transverse partitions, d, with openings therein, so as to allow water to iiow freely along to the diiierent stalls, while preventing it from being' dashed violently from one end ofthe car to the other by the jerking of the train. The inclined board C in this instance serves as a brace for the inner side ofthe trough. The section c of the inclined board, opposite each door-way, is made removable, so as to leave them clear for loading and unloading, this part ofthe trough also being removable. The iexible partitions are wound each upon. its respective roller or beam B in the roof of the car by means of a ratchet-lever, E, swinging around the beam and carrying a pawl, e, taking into a ratchet-wheel,

el, on the beam, the beam being held from running backward by a click, e2, taking into the ratchet. As the ratchet-lever swings freely around the beam it may either be worked from the inside or the outside of the car. To allow this lever to be worked from the roof I arrange a door, F, lengthwise of the car near its outer edge, as shown in the drawing. Stops fon the door hold it when opened in the inclined position shown in Fig. 2, for a purpose hereinafter eX- plained. I also propose, imder some circumstances, to use a hand-lever like an open-jaw wrench, with a spring and pawl something like the ratchet-drill well known to mechanics, so that all the rollers may be operated upon by one ratchet-lever, so constructed as readily to be applied to each one in turn. A bin, Gr, is arranged longitudinally along the car to carry food for the stock. I, by preference, arrange this bin inside the opening F in the roof. The cover of the bin is made in sections, y, swinging or turning up longitudinally, while that of the opening F swings outward. This facilitates the supplying of the feed to the stock, especially as the door F,when swung open, as in Fig. 2, forms one side of a trough, of which the bin forms the other. Feedracks H are arranged below the opening F and above the troughs to receive the food. These racks are, by preference, made to slide endwise on rods or ways h, and to swing around said rods. They may, by this means, be held against the upper part of the car when not in use, or may hang downward against its sides. When swung out for use the racks abut against the under side of the slats, or against the ends of the partitions, or against suitable stops on the side of the car to hold them in position. These racks might be made just half the length of the car, excluding the door-ways; but I prefer to construct them in sections capable of sliding past each other, so that they may be slid across the door-way when closed, or removed when it is open.

By making the partitions short, as above described, room is left for the troughs, the feedracks, and the ratchet-levers. The troughs and racks need not be cut up into sections. The racks and ratchet-lever can also readily be reached through the opening' in the roof, and the doorway of said opening when open forms a trough to guide the food to the racks or to the troughs, as hereinbefore described.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of the rolling-stall partition with spring-bolts to hold the partition in place, as set forth.

2. The combination of adjustable stall-partitions, spring-bolts, and inclined boards, automatieally to lock the partitions, as set forth.

3. The inclined boards which hold the partitions, constructed with removable sections opposite the door-ways, as hereinbefore set forth.

4. The combination ofthe partition-roller with the swinging lever-pawl and ratchet to work the rollers from either the outside or inside of the car, these members being constructed and operating as hereinbefore set forth.

5. The combination, with a stock-car, of a sliding swinging feed-rack, substantially as set forth.

(i. The relative arrangement, as set forth, of the feed-bin, the,outwardly-swinging door-way in the roof outside of the bin, and the feed-rack in the car.

7. The relative arrangement, as set forth, of the rolling partition, the feed-rac I, and the opening in the roof, for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto subscribed my name.

AMOS RANK.

Vitnesses:

R. V. HAnrsoN, WILL ToLnRroN. 

